You have found the right business development manager. They have a book of business, they know the lanes and the interviews went well. The offer is accepted. Then they resign, and their current employer makes a counteroffer.
In freight forwarding sales, this is not unusual. It is close to the norm. Knowing why it happens, and planning for it, is often the difference between a hire that lands and one that falls apart in the final week.
Why Counteroffers Are So Common in Freight Sales
A good freight salesperson is hard to replace. Their value is not only their skill but their relationships: shippers who trust them, accounts they have grown and margin they protect every month.
When that person resigns, their manager is not just losing a team member. They are facing the possibility that the accounts follow the salesperson out of the door, possibly to a competitor. Replacing that revenue takes a long time.
So the counteroffer arrives quickly. It might be a pay rise, a bigger commission split, a new title or a promise that "things will change."
Why Counteroffers Often Don't Work
A counteroffer fixes the symptom, not the cause. People rarely start looking for a new role because of money alone. They look because of limited progression, a difficult manager, a lack of support from operations, no voice in pricing or a feeling that their work is not valued.
A pay rise does not change any of that. The same frustrations usually return within months. There is also a trust question. Once someone has resigned, the relationship with their employer has changed, and both sides know it.
That does not mean every counteroffer is a mistake. Sometimes a resignation genuinely prompts an employer to fix a real problem. It does mean candidates should look hard at what is actually changing.
Advice for Candidates
Be clear on why you started looking. Write it down before you accept an offer. If a counteroffer comes, check it against that list. Does it solve those problems, or only the salary?
Ask why it took a resignation. If your employer could pay you more or promote you now, it is fair to ask why that did not happen before.
Think about the commitment you have made. Accepting an offer and then backing out affects your reputation with the new employer and often with the recruiter. Freight is a small industry, and people remember.
Resign professionally and keep it short. You do not need to justify your decision at length. Thank your manager, confirm your notice period and offer a proper handover.
Advice for Employers
Raise the topic early. In the first or second interview, ask the candidate directly: "If your current company offers you more to stay, what would you do?" Their answer tells you a lot.
Understand their real motivations. Find out what is driving the move, then make sure your offer and your pitch speak to it. If they want a clear path to leadership, show them the path.
Move quickly. The longer the process, the more time the current employer has to react. A slow process signals uncertainty, while a quick one signals commitment.
Make the offer complete. Commission structure, territory, support from pricing and operations, and the account list they can work on all matter to a salesperson. Vague answers create room for a counteroffer.
Stay in contact through the notice period. Some of the most effective hires are kept warm with an introduction to the team, a call from the branch manager or an early look at the accounts they will work on.
What Not to Do
Employers should avoid getting into a bidding war. If a candidate's decision comes down to who pays the most this week, the relationship is likely to be transactional on both sides.
Candidates should avoid using an offer purely as leverage. It might work once, but it rarely builds the career they actually want.
The Role of a Good Recruiter
Most counteroffer problems can be seen coming. A good recruiter spends time understanding why a candidate is moving, tests their commitment before an offer is made and prepares them for the conversation they will have when they resign.
That is how we work at Altius Talent. We would rather find out early that a candidate is not ready to move than have a client lose weeks to a hire that never starts.
Building your sales team? Speak with one of our consultants or submit a vacancy. Thinking about your next sales role? Submit your resume.
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